AI & SOCIETY
Generative AI, large language models, and their agentic framing in news media
Authors: Dennis Nguyen¹ · Magdalena Wischnewski²
Published: 11 May 2026
News reporting on generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and large language models (LLMs) plays a central role in shaping the public epistemology of these technologies, as journalism co-produces public agendas and narratives. Central to these debates are framing practices that portray LLM-based technologies as mentalistic, often through metaphors that attribute human-like cognitive capabilities or even experiences to AI systems (e.g. AI "thinks” or “feels"). While anthropomorphic framing has a long history in technology discourse, such practices carry particular social, cultural, and political weight when they contribute to inflated perceptions of AI capabilities. The present study analyses LLM-centric news framing with a focus on mentalistic representations, examining their thematic contexts, valence, and metaphorical patterns from a comparative, cross-cultural perspective. It combines computational text analysis with manual content analysis to critically explore 18,032 English-language news articles published between 2022 and 2024 across 15 outlets in Europe, Asia, and North America. The findings show that mentalistic framings are present but not uniformly dominant, varying across editorial cultures and journalistic styles. Situated against news media's growing organisational and economic entanglement with GenAI, the study contributes to debates on AI imaginaries, public epistemology, and journalism's role in fostering critical AI literacy.
Executive Impact Summary
Key findings highlight the evolving media discourse around LLMs and GenAI, revealing critical trends for enterprise AI adoption and public perception.
18,032
Total Articles Analyzed
9.2%
LLM Focus Percentage
0.8%
Mentalistic Framing Rate
Deep Analysis & Enterprise Applications
Select a topic to dive deeper, then explore the specific findings from the research, rebuilt as interactive, enterprise-focused modules.
This section provides a detailed breakdown of how news media frames LLMs, offering insights into thematic emphases, regional differences, and specific product portrayals. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for strategic AI communication and public engagement.
0.8%
Of ALL AI articles, LLMs were framed mentalistically.
Enterprise Process Flow
N1=18,032 articles about "artificial intelligence"
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Topic Modeling
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N2=1631 articles about LLMs
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RegEx & Dependency Parsing
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N3=742 articles framing LLMs as "agentic"
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RegEx based on Dictionary for Mentalistic Agency
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N4=144 articles framing LLMs as "mentalistic"
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Manual Content Analysis
| Region | Key Focus Areas | Less Likely to Cover |
|---|---|---|
| Asian Outlets |
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| European Outlets |
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| North American Outlets |
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Impact of ChatGPT Launch on Media Attention
The public release of conversational GenAI systems, especially OpenAI's ChatGPT, significantly shaped news media portrayal of LLMs. Its widespread publicity and rapid user uptake made LLMs a central focus of the global AI imaginary, at least temporarily. This highlights how new product launches can rapidly shift media agendas and influence the sociotechnical imaginaries surrounding AI.
— Nguyen and Wischnewski (2026)
9.2%
Of all AI articles, only 9.2% specifically focused on LLMs.
8.8%
Of LLM-centric articles, 8.8% used mentalistic-agentic framing.
Nuance in Anthropomorphic Framing
The study found that anthropomorphic framings are not uniformly dominant and can serve different communicative goals. While some uncritically reproduce tech-business narratives, others are ambiguous or routine, and some even serve adversarial uses to critique or undermine inflated claims about LLM capabilities. This suggests context is crucial.
— Nguyen and Wischnewski (2026)
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